The romance of flying has long gone
Long haul flying is not the fun it used to be. Airports are largely an annoyance and just a way of getting from A to B. You must get there three hours before your flight and then sit twiddling your thumbs until boarding is announced. Duty free is largely overpriced tat, or decent stuff you can buy at home for less. I like rail travel, but for faraway places, you have to fly and bear it.
My long-haul travel experience
Which class have I flown?
Long haul tends to be my thing and I’ve flown business class many times, first class (once), premium economy and economy.
Are you loyal to an airline?
I was loyal to one carrier for years (BA) and had their silver card (my partner was a gold card member) but, following the readjusting of their tier points, have recently just gone with the cheapest airline or one that offers the best journey.
Is it best to fly direct?
I’ve flown direct; have broken the journey with connecting flights with a short layover; and have also tried staying over several nights at one place to break up the journey.
The downside of night flights
- Somehow, I always get an infant with huge lungs who screams for the whole flight.
- Or, I get people standing in the aisle, talking together, right next to my seat.
- There is no way I can wash properly and clean my teeth in those cramped, stinky airline toilets.
Should I fly business class?
If someone else is paying, hell yes! But otherwise, be careful. It’s nearly always very expensive, but if you can see it as part of your holiday experience, you might go for it, especially if it’s a long way. We went to Australia the year before last, booked far in advance and got good business class deals. I was especially impressed with Singapore Airlines. The food was incredible (I’m veggie and usually get some boring pasta) and the service excellent. This fabulous experience set us up for our once-in-a lifetime trip. I felt our business class tickets were worth it. (However, even though the stinky, cramped toilets are slightly less stinky in business class, I still arrived feeling like death.)
But for shorter long haul trips, I say it’s a total waste of money unless you are wealthy and can throw a few extra grand at a flight without much thought.
It’s daytime flying for me
I’ve come to realise how I like to fly and what is important to me.
My big realisation is I hate night flights. I don’t sleep, other passengers annoy me more at night, and I arrive at my destination bedraggled and tired.
What class should I fly?
My top tip would be to fly premium economy. We are both tall, so the extra legroom is nice. We also pay extra for a decent seat. And on some airlines, you can pay for fast track through security and priority check in. All worth it in my book.
What about lounge access?
A few things have happened since I relinquished my silver card. Firstly, lounges no longer have free newspapers and magazines, one of the main attractions for me. Secondly, everyone uses them, and they have become very busy, almost a victim of their own success. We also had a Priority Pass card for a while; but sometimes we had to queue and other times we were turned away, so eventually we just didn’t bother. Thirdly, many airports have become so much better with their food provision in the restaurants and cafes. You can hunker down somewhere half decent and not have to worry about lounges at all.
Day flights – my new favourite way
For some destinations, you have no choice: there’s one flight a day and it leaves at night. But, if you can choose, maybe break up your journey with a connecting flight and go by day. I recently flew to India with Etihad, and I did just that. I had an early start from Manchester, so I booked in to an airport hotel overnight. This removes the stress of worrying about getting to the airport in the early hours and I have an extra hour in bed. I get up and go straight to the airport, using the lengthy wait for boarding to have some breakfast.
Benefits of a day flight
A day flight means you can finally read that novel you’ve been meaning to, watch a few films back to back, do some work or generally have an almost ‘business as usual’ day. Of course, with the time difference, you may be a bit tired when you get to your destination. But you can shower and then go straight to bed, in a nice proper bed and wake up after a few hours refreshed and ready to explore your new destination.
I have finally cracked it. It only took me 15 years.
March 2025